Said Race chief executive Derrick Yap: "South-east Asia has been earmarked to be the factory of the world and Singapore, being at the epicentre of the region, is very well-positioned (to take advantage of this)."

The series of courses under the new Robotics Applications Training and Education Programme starts on Jan 11, with a one-day "novice" level session for people without any technical background in robotics and automation.

They will learn about technology trends and how to analyse the cost-effectiveness of adopting robotics and automation.

The session costs $50 for Singaporeans, after subsidies.

The next two higher-level courses, each to run for five days, will be launched in March, with another two to follow later.

PREPARATION

Mr Gilbert Tan, chief executive of the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), urged firms and industries to prepare for the future and adopt more advanced technology in manufacturing.

His institute has signed an agreement with Race and Workforce Singapore to develop skills training and support employers in staff development.

Race will also team up with the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association and e2i, to help its members learn about technology and buy more of it.